The Reaper - Search for the God-Killer - Chapters 1,2 and 3
by Hiyahiyahiya
Summary: Melody is an orphan. She lives in Australia, a Cradle of Magic. She hates the Orphanage, and she knows that she will never leave. She will never be adopted. Until a man who claims he is The Grim Reaper knocks on her door.


Chapter 1 A Normal Excursion

The Melbourne Orphanage consisted of seventeen boys and three girls. Melody was the eldest of the girls, at the age of thirteen, and she took it upon herself to be an older sister to the younger girls.

The Orphanage was on an excursion to the museum. The Melbourne Museum was a marvelous place, each exhibit inside filled with ancient history. Melody gasped in awe at a massive tortoise shell, and the tyrannosaurus skeleton nearly made her jump. They passed Aboriginal paintings, treasures from subterranean tombs and mummified corpses. The youngest orphan, Lucy, began wandering away from the group. "Follow me, Lucy," Melody said, taking the little girl's hand and leading her back.

Melody and Lucy joined a ten year old, Emma, at the rear of the group, away from the rowdy boys. Melody watched a tall boy with dark curls laughing with his friends. His name was Dylan, and he was the most annoying of them all. He always had a mischievous smile across his lips, and he often harassed Emma and Lucy. Melody had never been to a museum before, and she tried to catch at least a brief glimpse of each exhibit. However, Dylan and the others were busy laughing and joking. Melody cringed as Dylan nearly knocked a vase off it's pedestal.

"Dylan!" she warned, "Be careful!" He nudged the vase with his elbow and it crashed to the floor. "Oops," he said, smiling. Melody looked at the fragments of pottery in anger. She couldn't believe he had destroyed a priceless artifact! "What was that?" came a voice from behind. It was the orphanage matron, Ms. Anderson, and she looked furious. Ms. Anderson was no-nonsense. If you didn't behave she would rap your knuckles with her long metal ruler. If Ms. Anderson had children, she would be on _World's Strictest Parents._ As soon as Ms. Anderson laid her eyes upon the vase's remains she exploded.

"Who is responsible for this?" she asked. "Melody broke it!" Dylan said. Before Melody could object, there was a flash of metal, and then Melody howled in pain. She fell to the ground, tears in her eyes. "That will teach you to keep your hands to yourself," Ms. Anderson said, the ruler in her hand. Emma and Lucy helped her to her feet. "Melody, are you alright?" Emma asked. Melody wiped her bleeding knuckles against her shirt. "I should be fine," she muttered. Melody could hear Dylan and the others laughing nearby, and she scowled quietly. Oh, how she hated him.

The orphans followed Ms. Anderson into a large hall. There were balconies above them, and intricately carved marble pillars supported the ceiling. Hanging from the ceiling itself was a tremendous whale skeleton, it's mouth gaping wide.

In the center of the room, sealed inside a glass case, was a tablet. It looked like only a fragment, however, as the sides of the tablet were jagged and uneven.

Ms. Anderson led the orphans to the tablet.

"Everyone, sketch this tablet on your worksheet," she instructed, "Then we will move on." Melody took out a pen and roughly sketched the tablet. As she was doing so, she thought she saw a flicker of black in the corner of her eye. Melody turned and saw a man in a beige jacket sprinting along the balcony. His skin was coated with hideous tattoos, and his mouth was curled into a snarl.

Another man in a dark cloak was giving pursuit, a scythe slung over his back. A hood hung over his head, and Melody couldn't catch a glimpse of his face.

The man in the cloak leapt forward and tackled the man in the jacket around the waist. They tumbled to the floor, scattering startled tourists. Jacket was the first to recover. He kicked his opponent in the ribs, sending him flying backwards.

"Grim," Jacket said, "It is wonderful to see you again." He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a long, sleek sword.

"I wish I could say the same," Grim replied, gripping the scythe with his hand. Jacket charged at him and thrust his sword at Grim, but Grim deflected the attack. He then slammed the butt of his scythe into Jacket's chin, and he staggered. Melody could not believe what she was witnessing. A duel in a museum? What was going on?

Grim tried a cut to the shoulder, and Jacket barely managed to flip out of the way. Jacket tried a vertical slice at the head, but the sword was blocked. Grim shoved his opponent back and then hurled his scythe through the air, the wicked blade whirling. However, Jacket easily batted the scythe away with his sword, and now Grim was weaponless.

Melody wondered what move Grim would make. The scythe was beyond his reach, and Jacket was advancing fast.

But then the strangest thing happened. The air seemed to ripple and shimmer, and then the scythe soared into Grim's grasp. Melody's eyes widened in amazement. How had Grim done that?

Grim sliced his scythe in a wide arc, and Jacket ducked. Then Grim sliced low, and although Jacket leapt back the blade managed to cut his thigh. Jacket cursed, blood seeping through his pants. Suddenly, a ball of flickering flame gathered in Grim's hand. The flames licked at the air like serpent's tongues. Was this an illusion?

Grim hurled the fireball, and Jacket screamed as his beige jacket was engulfed in flames. He slid the jacket off his shoulders and let it fall to the ground, revealing a singlet beneath. Melody gaped at his massive, rippling muscles.

Jacket roared and tried a vertical slice. Grim sidestepped the attack and then splayed his hand. The air rippled, but instead of being drawn towards Grim like the scythe Jacket was thrown backwards. He managed to land on his feet, but he was unsteady and stumbled slightly.

"This is your last chance to step aside, Reaper," Jacket snarled, "Or I will have to grant you a painful death."

"The tablet is mine, Jacket," Grim replied. His voice was deep and ominous. Melody couldn't see his lips moving beneath the dark hood. "I'm afraid you can't have it."

"Actually," Jacket said, "I think I can." He tossed his sword, and it easily sliced through the wires suspending the whale skeleton. Melody watched in terror as the skeleton began plummeting down. The Orphanage was going to be flattened!

However, Grim splayed his hand, the air rippled, and the whale's bones were sent flying away.

Melody sighed in relief as the bones crashed to the floor around her. Emma, Lucy and the boys were all unharmed, which Melody thought was a shame. She wouldn't mind if Dylan was flattened beneath a giant whalebone.

Grim leapt off the balcony and landed beside the tablet, and then he cursed quietly. The glass case had been broken, and the tablet had disappeared! "What was that, Ms. Anderson?" Melody asked. Ms. Anderson, however, appeared to be in a trance. Her eyes were drooping and she was nodding slowly.

"Ms. Anderson?" Melody asked.

"Excuse me?" the orphanage matron asked, emerging from her daze. Melody gestured at the balcony.

"The men fighting on the balcony," she explained, "What was that?".

"What men?" the matron asked. Melody gestured at the scattered whalebones.

"The whale skeleton?" Melody asked, "Did you even see what happened?"

"Oh!" Ms. Anderson said, finally taking notice of the bones, "How did those whale bones get here?" Melody was bewildered. _She doesn't remember anything! _Melody thought.

"How about the man with the scythe?" Melody asked.

"Scythe?" Ms. Anderson asked, "Where?" Melody turned and was about to gesture when she realized Grim really had disappeared!

"Have you completed your sketch, Melody?" Ms. Anderson asked. Melody shook her head, not really listening.

"Well, hurry up!" Ms. Anderson said, "We're leaving soon." She left Melody alone, confused and deep in contemplation. The tourists on the balcony were talking and laughing as if the fight hadn't occurred. The museum staff were hurrying to take care of the whale skeleton, as if it had only just fallen. But the most interesting thing Melody noticed was that there was a large group of men, clad in red robes, leaving the scene.

Why was Melody the only one who remembered the past five minutes?

Chapter 2 Grim

Melody hated the orphanage. She hated the boys, who were constantly harassing and abusing her. She hated Ms. Anderson, who was always working her to death. She hated the walls, all of them covered in stains and peeling pant. She hated the unhygienic bathrooms, the reeking toilets always clogged up. She hated her bed, the mattress stiff and hard. Melody would wake up with aching bones. She loved Emma and Lucy though, and she was always caring for the younger girls.

Melody hated the orphanage, and she wanted to get out. But she knew no one would ever adopt her. What she didn't know, however, was that she was wrong.

Melody woke up to the sound of her door bursting open. Lucy entered the room, her eyes close to tears.

"Dylan stole my bear!" she whined.

"Why that – don't worry, Lucy, I'll get your bear back." Melody leapt out of bed and, not even bothering to change, walked out into the corridor with Lucy behind her.

Out in the corridor, the boys were playing soccer with Lucy's bear. Melody watched as the bear soared through the air and landed on the floor.

"Give Lucy's bear back," Melody demanded. Dylan turned around, holding the bear.

"Give it back, Dylan."

"If you want it, come and get it." Melody lunged, her hand reaching for the bear, but Dylan held it above her head. Melody was tall, but Dylan was easily much taller. Melody leapt upwards, but her hand was barely out of reach. Dylan laughed, and anger burned inside Melody. She lunged, not at the bear, but at Dylan. But Dylan was fast, and his fist collided with her jaw. Lucy screamed her name as Melody fell to the ground, groaning. She slowly rose to her feet, caressing her jaw, and then she swung a punch at Dylan. Dylan caught her wrist and twisted it, and Melody screamed in agony.

"Dylan, stop!" Lucy pleaded, but Dylan wouldn't let go. Suddenly, Melody's instincts took over. She splayed her hand, as Grim had done yesterday, and the air rippled. A gust of wind sent Dylan flying backwards, and he landed in a heap on the floor. The boys looked at Melody, their eyes wide in amazement. Even Melody wasn't quite sure what had happened.

Ms. Anderson appeared beside Dylan.

"Dylan, are you alright?" she asked. The boy's arm was bent awkwardly, and even at a glance you could see he had broken bones. "Somebody, call an ambulance! Dylan needs medical attention." Then she strode up to Melody and, instead of rapping her knuckles, slapped her cheek. Lucy whimpered, holding her bear close to her body.

"Your behavior has been appalling for the past few days, young lady!" Ms. Anderson said, "If you pull one more stunt, I'll throw you out on the-"

And then the doorbell chimed.

Ms. Anderson opened the door, and Melody managed to catch a glimpse of the man standing outside. He was a tall man, wearing a long dark cloak that billowed in the wind. On his back was a wicked scythe, it's blade gleaming. Grim.

"How may I help you?" Ms. Anderson asked.

Grim slowly scanned the room, and then he returned his gaze to Ms. Anderson. "I wish to adopt a child," Grim said.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to place an application online-"

"That one." Grim was pointing his finger at Melody's head.

"Melody?" Ms. Anderson asked, "You can take her free of charge. Be warned, though, as she can be a real nuisance." Ms. Anderson clapped her hands.

"Melody, go and pack your belongings. We don't want to keep the gentleman waiting."

As Melody piled her clothing into her old case, Emma and Lucy entered the room.

"How long will you be away, Melody?" Lucy asked quietly.

"I don't know, Lucy," Melody replied, "I may be away forever." At the word forever, Lucy began to sob. "There, there," Melody whispered, embracing Lucy, "Shhhhh. It's all right." Melody felt a tear on her shoulder, and her heart ached. She didn't know leaving the orphanage would be this hard. "You'll always have Emma to keep you company, right?" Melody looked at Emma for approval. Although Emma nodded, Melody could see she too was crying.

They sat together, crying, until Ms. Anderson called. Melody stood up, and waved to her friends.

"Bye girls." They waved sadly, their heads bowed. Melody checked her appearance in the mirror. Her long, brown hair was untidy, and there was a red mark where Ms. Anderson had slapped her. Her eyes were red from tears, and she gently rubbed them with the back of her hand. Then she turned, case in her hand, and walked out the door.

Ms. Anderson was waiting with Grim, talking quietly. When Melody appeared the matron straightened.

"Well, goodbye, Melody," Ms. Anderson said, forcing a sad smile, "I hope you live a long and lovely life."

"You too," Melody replied, crossing her fingers. Grim placed his hand on her shoulder and led her outside. It was then that Ms. Anderson noticed his scythe. Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to scream when the door closed behind them.

Grim led Melody to his car, a sleek, black Aston Martin. Melody dumped her case in the boot, and then sat in the passenger seat beside Grim. The seat was soft and luxurious, made of a material Melody couldn't identify.

As they drove through the streets of Melbourne, there was an awkward silence between them. Melody slowly held out her hand.

"I'm Melody." Grim took her hand and shook it.

"Lovely name. I'm Grim." He cocked his head slightly. "I recognize your face. You were at the museum." Melody nodded.

"I'm afraid I don't recognize your face," Melody replied, "I don't even know what you look like." As Melody said this, she caught a glimpse of white beneath his hood. "What was that?" she asked.

"My mask," Grim answered, "Made from bone. Very durable." Another awkward silence.

"At the museum," Melody asked, "What happened?"

"Do you remember that tablet?" he asked. Melody nodded. "Engraved in the tablet, in an ancient language, are directions."

"Directions…to where, exactly?"

"Apparently, the directions lead to a powerful treasure. Do you remember the man with the tattoos?" Melody nodded. "His name is Victor. He works for a lunatic named Insidious Spite. If Victor managed to take the tablet, which he has, and deliver it to Spite, which he hasn't, Spite would use the treasure to kill us all." Melody thought that sounded very apocalyptic.

"How about your illusions?" Melody asked.

"Illusions?"

"Yeah, the rippling air and the fireball. How did you do that?"

"Oh, you're talking about magic." Melody froze.

"Magic?"

"Yes. Remember what you did to that poor boy in the Orphanage?" Melody nodded. "Magic."

"So…I can use magic?"

"Yes. You won't be able to use it as easily as before, however. That attack was fuelled by rage."

"Can Victor use magic?" Melody asked.

"No. He's just a very impressive swordsman. I was actually chasing him when I stopped to adopt you."

"Why _did _you adopt me?" Grim paused.

"I sensed a source of magic from inside the Orphanage. At first, I thought it was another magician, or a mage. I was going to enlist this mage's help to take down Victor, when I realized the source of magic was you. So I have decided to take you on as my new apprentice."

"Apprentice?" Melody asked, curious.

"Yes. I will teach you how to control and use your magic."

"Have you had apprentices in the past?" Melody asked.

"Yes."

"Where are they now?"

"Dead."

Melody frowned. "Oh."

"I can return you to the Orphanage, if you don't want to be an apprentice. Following me around can be dangerous."

"No," Melody replied, "I'm never going back to the Orphanage." As she said this, however, she remembered Emma and Lucy, and she experienced a pang of guilt. "I think Ms. Anderson saw your scythe, by the way."

"Don't worry," Grim assured her, "Mortals' minds are easily fooled. There are mages who have the power to influence people. These mages, named Sensitives, have talked to every witness of the museum incident. They will also talk to your matron, and she will forgot I even visited the Orphanage to begin with."

"So why didn't they influence me?" Melody asked. "Sensitives can only influence mortals," Grim explained, "Melody, you are not mortal. You are a magic child. Ah, we've arrived."

Chapter 3 The Tablet

The Aston Martin had stopped at the entrance to Flinders Street Station, the most used railway station in Melbourne. As always, the station was bustling with people.

Grim and Melody made their way towards the entrance, and Melody found herself being jostled by other people. She nearly lost sight of Grim a couple of times, but fortunately the large scythe slung over his back made him easily distinguishable.

"Melody, I have an important question," Grim began, "Were you given the name Melody, or did you take it yourself?"

"I chose the name Melody," Melody replied, "Why do you ask?"

"I will explain in depth later," Grim said, "But there are three types of names."

"First name, middle name and surname?" Melody asked.

"No," Grim replied, "Your true name, given name and taken name. Were you given a name? By your matron, or your parents?"

"I never knew my parents," Melody said sadly, "Ms. Anderson gave me a name, but I can't recall it now."

"Well, if another mage discovers your given name, they can control you."

"Control me?" Melody asked, "Like hypnosis?"

"Slightly," Grim replied, "To prevent that, you choose a taken name. Your taken name is Melody, and fortunately you cannot become controlled."

"How about your true name?" Melody asked.

"Ah, you'll find out more about that later."

They entered through the arched entrance and into the large, dome shaped interior. A few people glanced at Grim suspiciously, but they didn't comment on his cloak or his scythe.

Grim led the way towards the turnstiles, and he took two orange, transparent cards out of his cloak. He handed Melody a card.

"This card is called a Key," he explained, "It can be used to unlock any lock, and you can use it to pay for almost anything."

"Does it contain an unlimited amount of money?" Melody asked.

"No. All the money on that Key is from The Sanctuary, which is the place I work. You'll find out more about that later." They used the Keys to pass the turnstiles, and then they entered a massive hall with beautiful architecture. Melody wasn't able to admire the architecture for long, however, as they briskly walked across the hall and stepped onto an escalator.

"Who are you?" Melody asked.

"Grim."

"I mean, are you the Grim Reaper?"

"Yes."

"_The _Grim Reaper?"

"Reaper of souls, that's me."

"So why aren't you…reaping?" They arrived at the bottom of the escalator, at the train platform.

"As the Grim Reaper, my role is to appear scary and send good souls to heaven and bad souls to hell," he explained.

"You're doing the 'appear scary' part well."

"Thank you, Melody. Now, I had gathered a bad soul, but I couldn't send it to hell."

"Why not?" asked Melody.

"Because it was the soul of the mortal I had loved."

"Ah," said Melody, "That's a tough dilemma. Saving your loved one would mean disobeying the rules."

"Yes," Grim nodded, "You are a very clever apprentice. Eventually, I chose love. I sent the soul to heaven, but I was exiled from the Council of Death."

"The Council of Death?"

"You'll find out more about that later."

"What are you doing now?" Melody asked.

"Now, instead of reaping souls, I'm saving them. I fight for justice and righteousness, and I work for the Sanctuary of Magic."

"That's very heroic."

"Thank you, Melody." Suddenly, Grim stopped, placing his hand on Melody's chest.

"Stop," he said, his voice low, "Victor is up ahead." Melody spotted Victor's tattooed head in the crowd. Fortunately, he was also easily distinguishable. A few men, clad in black, flanked him. Their faces were hidden beneath veils.

Grim and Melody stalked them, always keeping a safe distance away. However, Victor never looked back. He was too busy admiring the tablet, which was in his hands.

"Who are the men in black?" asked Melody.

"Soldiers," Grim replied, "Deadly foes. Some wield swords, some wield guns whilst some prefer killing with their bare hands."

"Where are they going?" asked Melody.

"I don't know," Grim replied, "They might be boarding a train." Suddenly, he cursed. Melody turned, and realized that Victor and the men in black had disappeared from the crowd.

"We should never have taken our eyes off him," Grim muttered, walking at a faster pace. They passed a door, but Grim took no notice of it. Melody did.

"Grim!" she said, "In here!" Grim walked over to the door and pressed his Key against the lock.

"You have a keen eye," he complimented, "Melody, you might have just discovered the lair of Insidious Spite." Grim slowly opened the door, revealing a long, dark tunnel. "Stay here," he whispered, "I'll take the tablet. If you hear me shout 'run', you run back to the Aston Martin, do you understand?" Melody nodded. "Good. Well, farewell." And then he melted into the gloom.

Grim slowly crept down the tunnel, aware of voices nearby. He thought about Melody. The girl was clever and observant. If she learned to hone her magic, she would make an outstanding apprentice.

Grim remembered his past eight apprentices. Three of them hadn't even survived their first day. He sighed sadly. His friend at the Sanctuary, Crimson, was always warning him about endangering the lives of his apprentices. She would be furious when she found out Grim had found Melody.

Grim arrived at the entrance to a small room. Inside, Victor, the men in black and a man in the shadows sat around a table.

"Do you have the tablet?" asked the man in the shadows, and Grim recognized his voice immediately. Insidious Spite.

"Yes, my lord," Victor said, handing his master the tablet. Spite turned it over in his hands, a smile on his lips.

"Excellent," Spite whispered, "All we need to do now is translate the symbols. Victor, you have been wounded."

"Yes, my lord," Victor said, "The Reaper attacked me, and nearly defeated me." Spite hissed, like an agitated snake.

"Grim," he snarled, "Ever since he began working for the Sanctuary, the Grim Reaper has been nothing but a nuisance. If he was here, I would slit his neck!"

"No you wouldn't," Grim said, and everyone whirled in surprise. Grim splayed his hand, and the tablet flew out of Insidious' grasp and into his. Then he disappeared down the tunnel. Insidious Spite sat there, bewildered.

"Follow him!" he ordered, finally awakening from his stupor. The men in black leapt out of their seats and gave chase.

"Run!" Grim cried, his voice echoing through the tunnel, and Melody took off. She maneuvered through the stampede of people, stumbling a few times. Melody turned briefly and caught a glimpse of Grim being pursued by the men in black.

She arrived at the escalator, but she was slow climbing up. Then Grim wrapped his arm around her waist, and he muttered, "Hold on." He waved his arm, and they soared through the air, landing at the top of the escalator. "Magic," Grim said, answering Melody's unspoken question.

They sprinted across the hall, Grim at the rear. A man in black tackled Grim, and they landed with the man on top. Grim lifted his arm but the man pinned it to the ground. Grim grunted, trying to break free, but the man in red possessed extraordinary strength.

He managed to aim his palm at the man in red, and Grim unleashed a stream of fire. The man screamed, his veil engulfed in flames.

"To the Aston Martin!" Grim ordered, and Melody sprinted through the turnstiles and past confused mortals. She bounded through the archway and down the stairs. The Aston Martin was waiting ahead, but just as she was about to reach it she felt a pair of cold hands grip her neck. A man in black lifted Melody off the ground, and she gave a strangled gasp.

"Grim…" she managed to croak, "Help…"

"Your friend won't be able to save you, child," the man whispered, "You're already dead." She desperately tugged at the man's fingers, but he wouldn't let go. Melody's vision began to fade. She felt the darkness closing in around her, and then…


End file.
